Key Points for Beginner Gardeners to Keep Potted Plants Alive
Are you familiar with these? Why can't beginner gardeners keep flowers alive, and why do the potted plants you buy always fail to thrive? Check out these small experiences in plant cultivation and read on!
First, I apologize for the delay. I planned to write this article a few days ago, but I haven't been feeling well recently, so it has been postponed until today. A few days ago, a gardening friend consulted about her rose seedlings. She said she had been managing them with great care, recording every watering and fertilizing session in a special notebook, even more meticulously than her studies, but why do the seedlings still not grow well and always have problems?
If you are also a beginner gardener and your seedlings always develop issues within a month or two, and die within two or three months, then you should read this article carefully. Perhaps after today, you can change this beginner's status.
Why Can't Beginner Gardeners Keep Flowers Alive?
Why do beginner gardeners always find it difficult to keep flowers alive? The most important point is that we, as beginner gardeners, do not understand the growth patterns of plants. Especially for potted plants, we always think that using the best imported peat and various fertilizers recommended by experts will make the seedlings grow well and bloom abundantly, but proper basic management is the key to keeping potted plants alive.
Blindly repotting, watering, and fertilizing are important reasons why potted flowers wither. If you want to take good care of flowers, then first, we need to ensure that the potted flowers can survive normally after they arrive, without issues like yellow leaves, wilting, or withering within a couple of weeks.
Key Points for Beginner Gardeners to Keep Potted Plants Alive
So, how can we ensure that the potted plants survive after they arrive and do not wither easily? Here are a few suggestions for you.
1. Choose Seedlings with Original Pots and Soil
Many gardening friends buy seedlings online. When selecting seedlings, I suggest beginner gardeners choose seedlings that are shipped with the original pot and soil, as this makes it much easier to care for them.
Seedlings without soil or shipped out of their pots without experience are not recommended, as they may be difficult to care for and cause frustration.
Also, very young seedlings are not recommended for beginner gardeners, as it is more challenging to grow them into mature potted plants.
2. Acclimatization in the Original Pot is Very Important
When the seedlings arrive from an online purchase, all packaging materials should be removed first. Usually, newspapers or similar items are placed in the pot to prevent soil from spilling, and plastic wrap is wrapped around the pot. These additional packaging materials should be removed immediately.
After removing the packaging, water thoroughly. Do not repot immediately after watering; instead, water thoroughly, even if the soil is moist, and then acclimatize the seedlings. Because during shipping, the seedlings may be short of water or their roots may be slightly damaged, so acclimatization in the original pot is particularly important. Water thoroughly first and then place the seedlings in a bright, well-ventilated area to acclimatize.
The acclimatization period is usually 3-7 days, depending on the plant species and condition. If the plant is in good condition after 2 days of acclimatization, you can gradually increase the light. If there are no abnormalities by the 5th day, you can consider repotting.
Try not to repot too early, as problems after repotting may not be covered by the seller's after-sales service. After all, seedlings purchased online may be闷 in a box for several days after shipping, and occasionally, some may be闷 bad. If there are issues with the seedlings themselves, they will show abnormalities during the acclimatization period, and you can contact the seller for after-sales service.
Remember, during the acclimatization period, do not water any fertilizers other than clear water.
3. Master Basic Watering Rules
Watering is directly related to the life and death of potted plants. It can be said that 80% of potted flowers die from watering. Especially for beginner gardeners, watering is the most challenging, and many gardeners water based solely on their own feelings.
Here, I suggest beginner gardeners water new potted plants as follows.
① During the acclimatization period, only water with clear water, depending on the condition of the seedlings
Seedlings with original soil have good soil aeration, and they are usually watered once a day or even twice a day at the nursery. Therefore, after the seedlings are in your hands, you can water them based on their condition.
First, water thoroughly when you receive them. If the leaves become soft and wilted, even if the soil is moist, you still need to water thoroughly.
If there is no wilting or soft leaves during the acclimatization period, you need to water based on the dryness of the soil. When it's hard to tell if the soil is dry, you can lift the pot to see if it feels light, in which case you can water. If the pot feels heavy and there are no symptoms of water deficiency or wilting, there is no need to water.
It's normal to have some yellow leaves or withered flower buds during the acclimatization period, as long as the overall condition of the plant is good. If there are many yellow leaves, it indicates that the acclimatization is not going well, and you can extend the acclimatization period and continue to care for the plant in the original pot.
② Watering during the maintenance period
When the potted plant has safely passed the acclimatization period, you can repot it or continue to care for it in the original pot.
If you repot, make sure to repot with the original soil and do not break up the soil clump, as this can also cause problems. Within the first week after repotting, water should be poured into the original soil clump, and the watering frequency should be observed based on the condition of the seedlings, combined with lifting the pot to judge. If the pot feels light, you can water, and if the plant has soft leaves and the pot feels heavy, you also need to water, as this often means the original soil clump is short of water.
After the seedlings have adapted to the new pot, we can water when the pot feels light. After a period of time, you will be able to master the general watering frequency.
4. Provide Moderate Light
Different plants have different light requirements. Whether they are light-loving or shade-tolerant, it's fine to place them in a place with scattered light during the acclimatization period.
But after the acclimatization period, for light-loving plants, you should gradually increase the light and maintain sufficient light, as insufficient light for a long time will also severely affect the normal growth of the plant.
5. Maintain Good Ventilation in the Environment
Many gardening friends grow potted plants on their balconies, and ventilation is a big issue. If you grow potted plants on a closed balcony, in addition to keeping the windows open, there is one thing you need to pay special attention to: do not use small saucers.
For example, if you have a 1-gallon pot with a 1-gallon saucer, the saucer will fit snugly on the bottom of the pot, severely reducing the ventilation of the pot's bottom holes. If you want to use a saucer, it is recommended to use one that is 2-3 sizes larger. And after each watering, be sure to pour out any excess water in the saucer.
If you can do the above points well, your potted plants will definitely survive normally. Of course, if you want the potted plants to grow vigorously and bloom more, further management is required. Due to limited space, we will share more in the next issue.
This article shares the reasons why beginner gardeners can't keep flowers alive and the key points for keeping potted plants alive, hoping everyone will enjoy it!